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Healing Therapist Dies After Avoiding Medical Help
[BPSDB] "Healing therapist" Russell Jenkins tragically died after a minor injury to his foot became gangrenous when he refused to seek medical attention, an inquest has heard.
As local Portsmouth newspaper The News describes: "Russell Jenkins injured his left foot treading on an electrical plug at his home. The wound later became infected, but the 52-year-old shunned conventional treatment, saying his 'inner being' told him not to go to hospital. Instead he tried treating it with honey, an ancient remedy for the treatment of infected wounds."
Neither Jenkins nor his partner, former nurse Cherie Cameron, sought medÂical help. The honey treatment was suggested by homeopathist Susan Finn, who according to The News "said he did not want to see a doctor and would not go to hospital." Of course it had no effect on the diabetic patient. His toes turned black as gangrene set in, and after a couple of days bedridden he died.
The coroner recorded a narrative verdict, in which he said: "At no stage following the injury to his foot did Russell Jenkins or anyone else on his behalf seek or obtain conventional medical advice or treatment for his condition. In consequence, Russell Jenkins's condition was inappropriately and ineffectively treated by himself and by others and led to his death."
Jenkins was active in the alternative medicine community in Portsmouth. He is described as a "spiritual chanting artist" in this interview with art website PoeticMind.co.uk, where he describes the "healing power" of chanting in Hebrew, and you can even find examples of his work on Youtube.
His partner, Cherie, still works as an alternative medicine practitioner at the Quiet Mind Centre, an organization he founded.
The death of a curious artist is tragic. The fact that strong belief in alternative medicine was associated with his death is depressingly familiar. Let's hope that this case serves as a wake up call to anyone tempted to follow in his footsteps: honey doesn't cure gangrene, and failing to seek advice from the world of evidence-based medicine can be fatal.
Edit - Further blog reaction:
Orac at Respectful Insolence
Dr* T at Thinking is Dangerous
Have to LoL that one! :-)
So alties kill themselves as well as their patients? I fing it hard to have any sympathy. Think of it as evolution in action.
one would assume that alternative therapies for a cough or a headache are one thing, whereas even the most ardent woo-ster would draw the line at one's own foot droppin off and killing you. Evidently (sorry, no pun intended) that is not the case - it's hard to know how much sympathy I have in fairness, although this case is tragic there is little anyone can do to stop people making stupid decisions...!